The Near-Perfect Projector

JVC DLA-X35 Projector

Contrast ratio: the difference between the darkest and brightest part of a projector's image. It's the single most important aspect of picture quality, and the JVC DLA-X35 does it better than any of its competition (and pretty much any flat-panel TV, too). It's not cheap, but its picture has a depth and realism better than that of projectors many times its price. [$3,500; jvc.com]